Exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia
North Macedonia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia, 1998–2024
Source: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
North Macedonia recorded 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia peaked at 29.81 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011 and was at its lowest, 19.36 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2021.
North Macedonia ranks 63rd of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 25.5 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 23.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 27.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.7% |
| 2001 | 25.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 28.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.0% |
| 2003 | 28.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 24.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.6% |
| 2005 | 26.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 27.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 26.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 24.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.0% |
| 2009 | 23.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 21.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.2% |
| 2011 | 29.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +37.8% |
| 2012 | 28.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 25.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.7% |
| 2014 | 22.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2015 | 26.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.5% |
| 2016 | 25.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 25.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 24.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 21.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 22.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.3% |
| 2021 | 19.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2022 | 21.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.0% |
| 2023 | 19.95 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.0% |
| 2024 | 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
North Macedonia compared with similar countries
- North Macedonia's 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- North Macedonia's 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.7× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Macedonia
- 61 Malawi 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 62 South Korea 19.59 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 64 Bulgaria 19.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 65 Turkmenistan 19.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 66 Zimbabwe 18.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for North Macedonia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.21 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.483 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.22 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2004)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -7.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -10.18 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in North Macedonia was 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in North Macedonia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.81 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in North Macedonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.36 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021.
- How does North Macedonia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- North Macedonia ranks 63rd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in North Macedonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North Macedonia data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to air pollution from human sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks. This data excludes natural sources of PM2.5, such as dust and sea salt, to focus on human-caused pollution.